Prologue: History

When Ventus went to bed the night before Terra and Aqua's exam, he just thought that tomorrow would be the day that both of his best friends would finally be named Keyblade masters. Instead, the next day began the longest journey of his life.

The trouble started when Terra was denied the mark of mastery. And then that masked boy appeared, and taunted him with how Terra would change after today. "You'll never know the truth, unless you look for it yourself. Come on, what could you possibly know when you're stuck here, looking at nothing but what's in your tiny world." And so, he chased after Terra to try and help him.

He thought when they met up, things would get better. Unfortunately Terra seemed set on his own path, while Aqua was wrapped up in being a master. It left them more split apart then ever, and Ventus was left to ponder what it meant to have friends. He continued traveling in search of answers. But when he found them, he wished that he never left the Land of Departure to begin with.

Meeting again with Master Xehanort, his old teacher before Eraqus, caused him to remember his cruel tutelage. And to remember how the boy that sent him on his odyssey was ripped from Ventus' heart, molded from the darkness and given the name Vanitas. All in the name of forging the progenitor of all Keyblades, the χ-Blade, and with it the power of Kingdom Hearts. When Eraqus realized he learned the truth, he tried to strike him down. Deep inside, Ven knew that death would have been preferable to letting Xehanort have his sword, but Terra intervened.

Despite all intentions to leave Vanitas and the χ-Blade behind, his dark reflection managed to bring him back to the Keyblade Graveyard. For despite everything, he still cared about Terra and Aqua. And so he came to where so many wielders left their legacy, begging for Terra and Aqua to end him so that he would never fight Vanitas.

But in the ensuing chaos the two finally clashed and so became one, creating the χ-Blade and for a moment opening the path to Kingdom Hearts. But even in his heart Ventus resisted the union, battling with Vanitas to regain control. He eventually succeeded, but the cost was great. Ventus' own heart was shattered in the struggle. And so it fled.

Ventus was left to sleep for a long time. His body had been left unresponsive, while his heart had taken refuge in the heart of the boy that had saved him so many years ago when Vanitas was torn out of him. A boy whose only power was a heart that always reached out to anyone in need. Like it did years ago, he gave Ventus a place to stay, for as long as he needed. Over the next ten years, bit by bit, his heart had managed to piece itself together.

And over the next ten years, he dreamed.

But now the dream had started to become more vivid. There were two boys, a girl. Worlds, all being attacked by the heartless. A Castle, warped and twisted. A fight between two friends. A trapped heart. And the only way to free her was to take that Keyblade for People's Hearts and stab it into-

"SORA!"

And with that, the dream ended. And Ventus found himself calling out to an empty room. "Where.." And then he began to take in his surroundings. All along the walls were the symbol of Master Eraqus, But there wasn't any room in the Land of Departure that looked like this. He'd remember a room that was completely white. How did he even get here? The last thing he remembered was fighting in the Keyblade Graveyard, and then in his heart. He eventually triumphed over Vanitas, at the cost of his own heart. After that, all he could remember was being somewhere warm. And..

"I know it's a lonely place. But you'll be safe. Terra and I will be back to wake you up before you know it."

Aqua was still out there. Looking for Terra after whatever happened in the Keyblade Graveyard. If she hasn't come back, she has to still be looking. And Xehanort…

What if he was still out there? What if somehow, he managed to survive? What if Terra and Aqua were…

He had to leave. Vanitas might be gone, but even if the χ-blade couldn't be formed with the two of them, Xehanort had to have some other plan to make it. At the least, he wouldn't stop looking for it, and who knows what else he might try to do to get it. So, he tried to move, muscles aching after who knows how long staying still. But he'd been through worse. Eventually, Ventus was able to stand on his feet, he took a step toward the door.

And then began to stumble, as his body began feeling even worse pain then before. He'd learned long ago that skipping training for too long only made it harder when he got back to it. And this was bringing those memories back in full force. Slowly, he tried to take another step.

And another.

And another.

And eventually, he had reached the door. He rested against it, and pondered...should he just stay? Was he really in any condition to go out and look for Terra and Aqua? But after a moment, he shook his head. It didn't matter if he wasn't strong enough, this whole mess started when Xehanort took his darkness. If it was all his fault, he'd have to be the one to fix it. And so, he opened the door, determined to continue his journey to set things right.